As demand for EVs softens, Ford has pivoted to touting the fact that it offers a diverse array of powertrains these days, whether that be pure ICE, hybrid, or all-electric. However, The Blue Oval is also looking at alternative fuels as a way to potentially make future models cleaner, in lieu of electrification. That will apparently include synthetic fuel, which is produced artificially and is cleaner than fossil fuels sourced from the earth, according to Ford CEO Jim Farley.
“We really are interested in low carbon fuel. Look at what Porsche is doing with their first fuel for their high end 911s, they go to a green fuel,” Farley said during a recent interview with Bloomberg. “I’m very interested in whether we should do a synthetic, green fuel for Mustang in the first fuel at the plant. And we want to learn more about the low carbon, synthetic fuel. We will at Formula 1, because all of our combustion engineers are having to design an engine for it and we’re working closely with Exxon to learn more about the fuel’s characteristics.”
Ford has already begun developing power units for the Oracle Red Bull team starting in the 2026 Formula 1 season, though Farley also noted in this same podcast that it has no plans to field its own team in the future. Instead, it will use that venture to develop technology that can eventually trickle down to its road-going vehicles, as has long been the case with it and other automakers like Porsche.
Even with Ford looking at synthetic fuel as a possible way to slash emissions in the future, it’s also currently running multiple pilot programs focused on hydrogen as well. The Blue Oval sees hydrogen as a suitable way to make larger vehicles – like the Ford Super Duty – more environmentally friendly as current battery technology simply isn’t quite as viable for powering big, heavy vehicles at the moment.
We’ll have more on Ford’s interest in synthetic fuel soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
It has to be cheaper than gas or forget it. We have the greatest fuel already.
Ford building a formula 1 engine.. that’s a joke right ? Hopefully there not building a trans too.
‘they’re’
Sooner or later these pseudo-experts are going to drop all this greenhouse gas nonsense.
The only reason they’ve gotten away with it so far is most people aren’t interested in detailed science and can be easily fooled.
I think there’s room for both EVs and ICE vehicles. EVs are definitely not an environment savior. Best option is to develop a synthetic fuel that can be used in any vehicle. Best thing for the environment is to keep what you have for many years. Science is not always right.
THIS is what we need as one of our options! Farley is making the right moves lately. I hope they can find a solution here.
I can keep hoping and praying ford goes broke get woke go broke.
how have they gone woke?
This is what Ive been asking for. I know years ago Michigan as well as some other universities had developed clean fuels from algae, what happened to that? Making a fuel that burns cleaner fossil fuels, is renewable, and runs in any existing ICE is what we need. EVs should exist too, it should be about options.
Jim, HYDROGEN!!!
EV vehicles aren’t selling that well. Now the CEO says let’s build vehicles run by synthetic fuel or hydrogen! There are hardly any charging stations nationwide to support EVs and it is very expensive to have a charging port installed at your home. So just where do you think the American people, who are the buyers of your vehicles, going to get synthetic fuel or hydrogen? You will attempt to sell those cars for $80,000 – $100,000 per unit with no thought of where the fuel supply will come from. If you want to keep your business alive, how about thinking of your customers! Jacking up the price and using a power source that is unavailable is a great way to head you to bankruptcy.
CEO Farley now says he will have a $30,000 EV vehicle in two and a half years for sale. BULL! The Ranger was supposed to be a low cost vehicle. First year it was $24,000. Second year, the cost escalated to $48,000. You created the Maverick, stating it would be a low cost alternative at $20,000. That is a crock as most Mavericks range $37,000-$39,000. Stop lying to your customer base about cost. You have no intention of putting out a $30,000 vehicle in any form.